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Bodrum at 40 to 50m is the size for the Gulf of Gokova anchorage week with a Yalikavak slip at the bookends, and the bracket prices roughly 4 to 8 percent above the Gocek equivalent for the same LOA. A 40 to 50m motor yacht based in Bodrum in 2026 high season runs $135,000 to $230,000 per week plus 25 percent APA, takes 8 to 12 guests, and carries 9 to 13 crew. The active 40 to 50m fleet calling Bodrum home for the 2026 season is roughly 22 yachts, with a larger transient population repositioning through Yalikavak from Gocek and from the Aegean. Yalikavak Marina is the international charter slip; the Bodrum town pontoon is for repositioning and short turnarounds at this bracket.
Why the bracket fits Bodrum specifically
Bodrum sits at the northern end of the Turkish coast and at the western end of the Gulf of Gokova, the protected anchorage system that defines the Bodrum charter week. The 40 to 50m bracket is the upper size for the Gokova: large enough for proper at-rest stabilizers, twin tenders, and a full helipad option in the upper bracket; small enough to anchor close-in at English Harbour, Sehir Adalari, and the Yedi Adalari archipelago without a long beach-tender shuttle from outside.
The corridor short list at this bracket: Yalikavak overnight at the start and end, two to three nights in the Gulf of Gokova proper, one to two nights the Datca peninsula south. The bracket's seven-night Bodrum charter rarely touches a marina between the bookends.
Yalikavak Marina prioritises year-round berth holders during August and the slip count for transient 40 to 50m charters is constrained at 8 to 12 berths through the first three weeks of August. Charter clients should confirm the embarkation and disembarkation slip in writing at booking, not on arrival.
Weekly rate map for 2026
Rates below are high season (mid-July to late August) for 2026, before APA at 25 percent and gratuity at 10 percent. Bodrum charters starting and ending in Turkey are VAT-exempt under the Turkish-flag commercial regime.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht and motor-sailor (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 to 43m | $135K to $165K per week | $108K to $140K per week |
| 43 to 47m | $160K to $195K per week | $130K to $170K per week |
| 47 to 50m | $190K to $230K per week | $155K to $200K per week |
Shoulder season (mid-May to mid-June and from mid-September) drops these by 25 to 35 percent. The Bodrum Cup week in late October is a separate event-driven market where larger sailing yachts in the bracket price 50 percent above shoulder; pure motor-yacht charter clients should avoid the Cup week unless the event is the explicit purpose. For corridor context see Mediterranean charter weekly rates, the 40 to 50m Turkey corridor, and the 30 to 40m Bodrum bracket.
What is in the bracket in this bracket
Cabins. 5 to 6-cabin layouts dominate. The Bodrum-built 40 to 50m motor yacht inventory leans toward beam-forward hulls with twin master cabins as a charter feature, which translates well to friend-group bookings without losing the family-week flexibility.
Crew. 9 to 13. Bodrum carries the deepest gulet-trained crew bench in the eastern Med, which translates to strong exterior service and tender handling. The galley and chief stew bench is workable for international charter clients but narrower than Antibes for clients with strict European fine-dining expectations; specify the chef's training background at inquiry.
Tenders. A primary 9m fast tender plus a 6 to 7m beach tender. The English Harbour and Sehir Adalari swimming days reward a beach tender that lands close to shore. The Datca to Symi day cross rewards the faster main tender for the cross-border return.
At-rest stabilizers. Required. Bodrum afternoon meltemi pushes a sustained 1m to 1.5m swell into the northern Gokova bays from mid-July through August. Yachts without zero-speed stabilizers in the bracket read as uncomfortable, and the at-rest differential is the single largest charter-experience variable in the Bodrum fleet.
Helipad. Useful at the upper end of the bracket. Bodrum and Dalaman airports cover transfers; the helicopter shuttle from Bodrum to Yalikavak in central August saves 30 to 60 minutes against the road and is the only practical mid-charter shore guest pickup at the Gokova anchorages.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The pure Gokova week. Embark Yalikavak, work the northern Gokova (Kargi, Cleopatra Island, English Harbour), continue to Sehir Adalari, return via the Datca peninsula, disembark Yalikavak. Seven nights, four anchorages, two marina nights at the bookends. The bracket fits all of it.
The Bodrum to Gocek one-way. Embark Yalikavak, work the Gokova south to Datca, transit the Hisaronu Gulf, finish in Gocek. Seven nights. Requires a one-way charter agreement and a Gocek disembarkation logistics plan; verify the Gocek slot and the one-way premium with the operator before booking because both move the all-in number by 8 to 12 percent.
The Symi day-cross. Embark Yalikavak, position to Datca overnight, day-visit Symi via the Bozburun strait, return to Turkish waters. Seven nights total. Requires a Turkish-flag yacht with a current transit log; the Greek side cannot host overnight without triggering Greek VAT on the entire charter.
For destination context see Charter Bodrum, Charter Turkey, and Day charter Bodrum.
What the bracket does not do well in Bodrum
Long-passage weeks south. The Bodrum to Antalya run is awkward at the bracket because the open-water leg south of Datca to Marmaris and on to Kekova adds 200nm of passage to a seven-night week; the upper-bracket sailing yachts handle it, the lower-bracket motor yachts do not without sacrificing the anchorage time that justifies the booking.
August Yalikavak slip availability for transient charters. The marina prioritises year-round berth holders during the central August window and the slip count for 40 to 50m transient charters is the booking's binding constraint. We would pass on any August booking that has not confirmed the embarkation and disembarkation berths in writing.
Quiet anchorages in peak. The Gokova bays at English Harbour and Sehir Adalari run dense from 15 July through 25 August. Charter clients who want true low-density anchorages should book mid-June or mid-September shoulder weeks or move south to the Gocek inner bays.
What we would book
For two couples, seven days in mid-June, pure Gokova week: a 43m motor yacht with 5 cabins and at-rest stabilizers, embarkation Yalikavak. Budget $155K plus APA, all-in roughly $195K. Booking lead time: 4 to 6 months.
For a family of 10, ten days in early August, Yalikavak embark and disembark with Gokova plus a Datca night: a 46m motor yacht with 5 cabins, twin tenders with a beach-landing primary, written Yalikavak slot for the bookends. Budget $185K plus APA, all-in roughly $235K. Booking lead time: 7 to 10 months.
For a friend group of 12, fourteen days in late July, Bodrum to Gocek to Kekova extended: a 49m motor yacht with 6 cabins, helipad, embarkation Yalikavak, disembark Kas one-way. Budget $290K plus APA, all-in roughly $370K. Booking lead time: 9 to 12 months.
Build year, refit, condition
The Bodrum-flag 40 to 50m fleet is the youngest in the eastern Mediterranean at the bracket because Bilgin, Mengi-Yay, and Sirena dominate the recent build list and the resale charter fleet skews to these names. A 2019 to 2024 build with current AV, HVAC, and at-rest stabilizers is the value zone. Older 2010 to 2014 European tonnage repositioned into the Bodrum fleet is workable only if the 2023 or later refit covers electrical, AV, and refrigeration; we would pass on units running original kit through the August heat load.